Dumpling Zip Pouch

Las Vegas Modern Quilt Guild members are swapping zip-pouches tomorrow. There were not many guidelines given, only to avoid holiday themes.

The inspiration came from a 7" piece of the rayon/linen fabric, found in the remnant pile at JoAnn's last week. Noticing it's metallic sheen, I immediately thought of the shiny DMC floss I've had stashed for several month's now.

I stitched slowly, carefully, so as not to snag this floss as I worked, yet the stitchery was finished quickly! I chose one of my favorite Kaffe scraps for the inside PoP

This is the smaller-sized Dumpling Tutorial at Michelle Patterns. I had a couple mental complications and received a bit of seam ripper refreshment training, completely removing the zipper after already notching my curves. I could've avoided all that ripping if only there were a way to open the pouch from the inside lol. I think I turned the darn thing inside out and back again five more times than necessary, but I am still so happy with the result!
BTW, the floss is DMC six strand and I used three strands for the over-sized cross-stitch.

 I am sharing this cutie with Elm Street Quilts Bag It Challenge: Only two more days to enter!

Kona Color from Fat Quarter Shop

I tackled another to-do and finally purchased fabrics for two quilts I've been planning.

I need to thank y'all for your advice about selecting Kona colors! I used the Palette Builder at Playcrafts to make mosaics to use as a starting point. I can't say how many email reminders I received that items were left in my cart while I was deciding, lol, but the process took me about a week. Once I got serious with the cart, I set a goal to have the final decisions ready for Black Friday. Sure enough, I received 20% off at Fat Quarter Shop, plus loads of other goodies. We'll save those for a rainy day though, this post is all about the Kona...

First, my Husky palette (University of Washington):

Butterscotch, Bright Periwinkle, Regal, and I picked up four yards of the silver (thanks Libby!). Still need to add some black..

Next,
My Mariner's palette! This one was harder and perhaps not finalized.
I like the white better than the silver in this bundle. Otherwise, the two quilts are sharing gray's: Titanium, Graphite, and Steel.

I ordered several blues just to see them before really deciding on Midnight and Nightfall.
Ultramarine is my final 'teal'.

Only three fabrics were culled once I had them in my hands. The blue and yellow uniform, "alt 1", (are they even wearing it I wonder?) A bit of creamed corn might make a good pop, so I will consider it later, but Sunny is not a fit for me.
I really wanted to see Celestial. It is pretty.

The royal there is extra-wide. I was curious if the weight was the same as 44w, and it is..
It will work well with my Sphere leftovers I think..
Two yards of excess is not bad for online shopping I think, but I can see the color card paying for itself if I become a full-on Kona nerd!

I love Fat Quarter Shop, lol, they actually answered their phone the morning of Black Friday and patiently helped me with a gift code. I realized my mistake after we spoke, I was entering incorrectly, but how amazing to have helped me as if nothing was of more importance.

I am off for a bit of ISpy quilting this afternoon, I hope you find some quilty time too@!

OMG: A Goal for December!

Hello, Hello!
my my my, how time is slipping by, lol.
Don't panic, but yes, we can almost count the hours until the deadline to ship packages for Christmas.

I have kind of stalled here, but with only one day left to link up with One Monthly Goal,
I have finally decided my December goal is within reason and I can put it in writing.

I really want this I-Spy quilt under my friend's tree come Christmas morning. 

The quilting is more than halfway finished, and I need to select/cut/attach binding. At least I already have the label on this time, lol! When I share the finish, I will finally reveal the backing as well!

So, that is what I am working on, as well as other gifts. We are making jerky this year, and I'll be concocting a few lotions.

I'm a winner? say what?
What a surprise, and a thrill, to win the $25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop last month! They really are my favorite quilt shop and I am so grateful for their ongoing support of the cyber-community. Soon, I will share pictures of the Kona-goodness I selected!

To enter the December drawings, hurry over to Elm Street Quilts to link up with your One Monthly Goal!
I hope to see you there!

November Progress: OMG, Oh Scrap, and Quilty365

I have completed my November goal, to finish machine-quilt Panel #12. It brought me through the election, the constitutional block near the bottom-right..
One of these is from the kitchen curtain fabric I used in 1985, lol...

Oh, those Eighties,
Here is my memory still stored on a shelf:

I am still really enjoying the fabric selection process, finding things to represent daily life events.
41 more dots are required to complete my 366 blocks, and I will use those as border blocks. I have about 20 half-assembled, so I am only a bit behind:)

I have stalled completely with the big-stitch quilting though, stuck on Panel #11, right here with RSC-inspired Roses.

The last circle I quilted was here under one of the debate nights,

I have been sewing in short intervals. A little of this, and a little of that. I try to do a couple lines of quilting on my I-Spy quilt each day,

 And I trim a few of these Quilty365 centers now and then:

I do really like having the Martelli cutter, it switches the pressure points being stressed. The clasp is awkward, but I am getting used to it. Also, it is harder to keep clean since the lint gathers under the protective plastic, then suddenly poops a greasy pile on my precious.
I keep a Q-Tip nearby to catch those before they release.

Really, I have to avoid cutting though, and that means I've set aside my Kite Tails blocks. I will make one more soon, but for now all 23 are piled in their box. I have been referring to the project as BYOT; Bring Your Own Toppings.

These are indoor cell-shots, but to give you an idea of the whole!

I snapped a photo of some really good books I have been spending time with lately:

The top book was a gift from my sister a couple years ago, I highly recommend it. It is so informative, and can tell you how to deal with any odd-looking veggie you may be tempted to bring home from market, or new-to-you fruit your neighbor leaves at your doorstep. It seems to cover everything. I recently roasted green chili's, and yellow ones too, for the freezer. Those have prompted me to pull my Sante Fe cookbook.

Last week I made potion lotion, prompted by those two books in the middle.

I didn't have enough almond oil and opted for some olive oil mixed in. The almond oil is less greasy, but olive is good for dry skin and I did not want to use my yummy coconut oil since I am almost out of granola. Next, I selected these three essential oils from their descriptions in the books:

It was all pretty easy to do. I followed directions in the 2nd book, on library loan, to heat the oil, melting the beeswax, then emulsify with water. I really like the lotion, so I thought I would share this!

Thank you for catching up with me today, I am looking forward to seeing what everyone is up to!

Cynthia, at Oh Scrap!

And, Scrap-Happpy Saturday!

Audrey, at QuiltyFolk

OMG: November Finishes

October Winners: One Monthly Goal

Winners were drawn yesterday for the October OMG Giveaways!

Congratulations to Kathy, of Kathy's Quilting Blog! Kathy finished a gorgeous Hunter's Star, I actually saved a picture to my desktop and it is high on my list of must-do's. It is simply stunning!

Kathy won the $25 Gift Certificate to The Fat Quarter Shop!

Next, we drew for the little bundle of sweet that I put together:
Congratulations to Tanya, of Tanya Quilts in Colorado! Although this is a random drawing, I was happy to see Tanya's name draw, after reading how she risked her health to photograph her finish, in time to link-up! Hope you are feeling better this week Tanya!

The third and final draw, for $20 Credit at Bagmaker Supply:
Congratulations to Quilting is in my Blood! Check out her link to see another gorgeous finish accomplished in October!

Have you set your November goal?  

Today is the last day to link-up over at Elm Street Quilts!

 

November Goals: OMG!

Surprise, Surprise!
One Monthly Goal has moved locations!
The new home is with Patty, at Elm Street Quilts!

Click the new button to check out the Welcome Page!

 Isn't it cute?

So...
This means I get to link-up with a goal of my own, at the November Linkup!
I aim to piece & sandwich this panel (#12) for my Daily Dot quilt. I am using QAYG method for the QAL hosted by Audrey at Quilty Folk. These dots represent September 16th - October 20th, so I am a bit behind. I am due to stitch block #366 on November 29th. 

I hope you will join me over at Patty's place for monthly goal-setting!
Cotton Cuts has generously offered a one month subscription, fabric bundle!
Something like the one I received this month...

ooo-la-la!

Thank you all for your wonderful comments! I am still very limited with computer use and I regret that I will remain a "no-reply-to-your-comment-blogger" for awhile longer. Meanwhile, I ordered the Martelli Ergo Cutter as a way to change up muscle-use when I am cutting future quilts.
I can hardly wait to see how she handles.
Has anyone tried it?

I found this photo, and a review at Quilter's Review

Cotton Cuts Quilting Fabric: Product Review & Giveaway

I found a really fun way to build stash!
If you enjoy fabric delivered to your doorstep, you may be interested in this! Cotton Cuts offers monthly subscriptions with 1, 3, or 6 month options. After completing a brief questionnaire, the bundle sent to your home is curated based on your own preferences.
Neat-o!

I was thrilled to be offered a trial, and quick-as-a-flash, I received my package!

We're talkin' about some Happy Mail, haha,
There were no tricks inside this treat!

Beautiful, right?
First of all, the packaging was top of the line! I appreciate a well-packaged bundle, and the inner box will find a secondary use in my home.

This is top-quality fabric, and they did a great job customizing for me. A couple may not be selections I would have made, however I think another advantage of this service may be occasionally receiving a print that pushes beyond your comfort one!

I wonder what is in store for these lovelies?
So, how about the Value? I received three total yards, plus the added patterns; a BOM and a mini. Also included, as this month's bonus, a useful zip-charm:)
I think Yes, a very nice value nice value, and especially for those looking to build stash!

If you think this may be fun to try, please Stay-tuned! 

 A Cotton Cuts giveaway will be announced shortly, just for OMG participants!

Check out the CottonCuts website for all the info! 

or, Find them on Istagram to learn about more giveaways!

OMG It's Finished: October!

With one week left for October finishes, I must finally admit that my own quilty goal is just not happening this month.
Now more than ever, I need to see your finishes, so that I may live vicariously!
I have managed to stitch a few rays of sunshine this month.

Usually, I make two Kite Tail blocks each month, for Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

I need extras though, to total 24 blocks. So this month I made a third, with the yellow and orange colorway for October RSC.

These blocks require a lot of cutting and apparently this third block was just one too many for me. The day after I pressed and trimmed my strips for the 'extra' one, my wrists swelled and gave me grief like never before. I am still unable to cut, and only very limited computer time. I have managed to stitch the third block together, in five minute increments, over the past two weeks.

Hopefully, I can figure the exact cause of this soon, but for now I hope you understand if I seem quite anti-social! I regret that I will not be able to reply to comments until I am comfortable once again on the PC. I will be able to read your posts, and want you to know I am cheering for you, and that I am so very appreciative of your participation!

An InLinkz Link-up

This is the FQ bundle I put together for the OMG, October prize-pool!

Please take a few moments to visit our monthly OMG sponsors!

 Fat Quarter Shop: $25 Gift Certificate (Flash Sale Link HERE!)

Bagmaker Supply: $20 Store Credit 

Please visit Bagmaker on Facebook! Let's help this awesome shop reach 500 followers! 

Did you know Bagmaker is now stocking hardware kits to coordinate with SWOON Patterns, and with Bag of the Month Club!

 

Thank you for sharing your October goal with OMG!
Much Luck for success!

Looking for more info? Read about One Monthly Goal.

Handmade Halloween: The Bat in the Moonlight

How Bat That?
I finished my mini with three hours remaining to write this post and catch the party!

I appliqued this fun piece for The Crafted Applique Bloghop, back in May!

It finished right around 20".
I chose an easy-peasy finishing method:
After quilting with a muslin backing, pulling threads to the back and tying them, I cut a new backing, black, 1" larger than the quilt.
Next, I stitched them (right-sides) together, but only along two opposite edges.
Turned it right side out and pinned the unfinished ends over.
Finally, I top-stitch all the way around.
Perhaps crude, but it sure makes a nice finish for a table mat!

Variegated purple thread from Superior, a 40wt from old stash, plus wool batting.
My funky quilting really stands out!

This is one block from the Carolyn Lynch pattern, "Something Wicked This Way Comes". All of the blocks can be seen at Carolyn's website, Articles of Merit Not Listed.

I found the single-block pattern, titled "The Bat in the Moonlight", published in QNM, OCT 98 issue. 

Are you ready for Halloween?
Costumes set yet?
Check out the Handmade Halloween inspiration party!